This blog was created to share my experiences as an AmeriCorps VISTA with friends and family. However, I feel strange writing solely about AmeriCorps when my daily work experience does not involve them (outside of the fact that they are paying me). So I thought I'd take a few minutes now to tell you about the actual work I'm doing.
I am working for the Jefferson Conservation District, a quasi-governmental agency that operates like an independent nonprofit, to develop an Urban Agriculture program. The JCD has always worked on conservation, sustainability and land stewardship issues, but this is our first venture into urban conservation and it is very exciting to be leading the charge.
Much of my work in the past 6 weeks has focused on learning about the issues surrounding urban agriculture and creating a strategic plan for the next three years of this project. The JCD did not have a particular project or particular goals in mind when they brought me on and it has been both exhilirating and terrifying to create an entirely new and (hopefully) innovative program for 4 urban communities in Jefferson County, Colorado (Lakewood, Wheat Ridge, Golden and Arvada).
Because I am working for/with several organizations (Jefferson Conservation District, Upper South Platte Watershed Association, Western Hardrock Watershed Team and AmeriCorps VISTA), an important piece of this project development process was to identify the major goals of each organization and find a way to create a project that encompasses and exemplifies all of these goals. For example, AmeriCorps VISTA is all about poverty alleviation but the JCD really focuses on providing technical assistance to land owners - how does this all fit together?
Combined, all of these organizations are interested in creating partnerships within communities, working with various stakeholders(local government, community organizations and individuals) and providing technical/capacity assistance towards the end goal of sustainable natural resource management and the reduction of environmental and human poverty.
In order to incorporate all aspects of this larger multi-organizational goal, the Urban Agriculture project will incorporate three separate yet overlapping strands. The first strand is to create a toolkit for individuals interested in urban agriculture/gardening, providing technical assistance for planting, methods of efficient water use, zoning regulations for their community, etc. The second is to develop an online tool to connect local producers and consumers. This tool will not only act as an online farmers market, it will also provide a forum to connect local growers, restaraunts interested in local food, etc. And then the third strand, which ties it all together, is to work with the 4 local governments to create community projects to increase access to urban agriculture and improve food security for all residents. These community projects might include anything from the acquisition of open space for a community garden to working with the city forester to create edible landscapes to ensuring that local farmers markets are able to accept food stamps.
Now that the goal setting and strategic planning process is largely complete (or, at least, at a good stopping point) I am able to begin meeting with community leaders and establishing the Jefferson Conservation District as the lynchpin of urban agriculture in the community - the #1 place to go if you have a question or are looking for a community resource.
It's pretty awesome, don't you think?
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